Chapter Eighty-Eight: Faraway Hope – Part Two

    Tris woke me before dawn, and we settled for an early morning bath underneath the still-dark skies. After she dried and dressed me, we returned to the room to find Sera hugging a pillow between her arms. She slowly rolled...until she fell off the bed.

    Crash!

    She awoke in a hurry and manifested mystical orbs of sharp wind around her hand before remembering where she was.

    “Forgive me for showing you such a thing, Mila. I don’t know what happened,” Sera stuttered, her face looking like a cherry tomato.

    “Pay it no mind,” I said, sitting against Surtr. I rubbed his chin, and he purred for me. “I take it that’s the first restful slumber you’ve had in a while?”

    Sera walked to the bath, and we continued to chat while she cleaned herself. “Yes, but... I had a dream,” she said, her voice still sounding like it was beside me.

    “About?”

    “The first time I rode on Lord Aetos’s back. I was still young, but I was so terribly afraid of heights. I remember crying when he flapped his wings. But Susize was there. She caught me when I jumped and held me close, apologizing for putting me through something scary. Then Lord Aetos rubbed my head and comforted me...”

    “Sounds to me like that’s a sign to reconnect with him. It isn’t too late.”

    “Maybe... But...” Sera’s voice dropped to a whisper, but she never continued.

    She had unresolved trauma. Sera preferred the past. She’d contend with the memories of her loved ones than face life without them, and Aetos was upset at that weakness.

    After Sera finished her bath and dressed, we walked to the sanctum and found Lord Enele. Three cups of coffee sat empty on the round table while he looked over a dozen documents.

    He looked up when he heard our footsteps and smiled. “Good morning,” he said. We shared pleasantries, and I ‘encouraged’ Tris to speak up. Lord Enele raised a curious eyebrow and listened to a heartfelt apology. “It’s not a problem, Lady Tris, and I am happy to see you learn from this. In the future, you may very well cause problems for Lord Springfield by carelessly addressing or replying to powerful people in the future.”

    “I understand my mistakes, Lord Enele. Thank you.”

    “You’re quite welcome. Now...” Lord Enele looked at me. “You’ve something to ask me, yes?”

    “You’re quite perceptive,” I replied.

    “I must be if I’m to continue my work.”

    “I hope I’m not crossing the line...but I wish to ask you for a favor. And it extends to you, Sera.”

    “It’s not about Lady Plymoise?”

    I shook my head and told Lord Enele about me heading to Aetos Village on Sera’s behalf to deliver the soil for Aetos. Context was necessary, so I informed him about Sekh needing to be healed by Aetos’s healing magic. Then I explained what occurred in Ria and my original goal of helping my mom find her parents.

    “You wish me to be their escort after the Heptarchis has concluded?”

    “Yes. If the Heptarchis has finished before I return, I would greatly appreciate this, Lord Enele.”

    “Well, I can hardly refuse your favor, can I? Don’t worry, Lord Springfield. You may consider it done. I promise you my assistance as the Dark Lord of Justice,” said Lord Enele.

    I...didn’t expect him to agree so readily. “And I’ll help, too!” Sera added. “That’s fine, isn’t it? Mila, please say it is!”

    “Of course, it is. Sera, I’d like you to get to know my family. I want you to see the kindness they radiate to take a stranger like me in and overflow them with love.”

    Sera smiled. “Wait... How will you know where to find us when you return?” I told her that Sekh had summoned five spirits. Surtr was with me, and he could detect the locations of the other four. They never left my family’s side.

    “Lord Enele... Please, you must let me repay you.”

    “I only wish to see you return with this Sekh, Lord Springfield. She sounds like she’s very special to you. Ah, nothing wets my eyes more than a heartfelt reunion."

    Okay, maybe Lord Enele was a good man. Tris told me she viewed him in a brand-new light. She had no reason to think anything differently based on her information. He retrieved a glass box from his robe and handed it to me. There was a slight panic when it vanished, but Sera understood me to have a storage-type spell. She agreed when I said it was safer there than with me. Tris informed me she partitioned [Void Storage] into two, enabled time to flow in the second section, and moved the box to it. Otherwise, it wouldn''t develop and nurture.

    “Are you departing now?”

    “It’ll be rude if I leave without telling Lady Plymoise anything.”

    Lord Enele said the Heptarchis wasn’t supposed to resume for another two hours, so I returned to Plymoise’s embassy with Sera, Tris, and Surtr. The time I needed to waste passed by quickly when Sera retrieved a flute and played a song. The desire to retrieve Susize’s flute waged a war, but I won. Sera eventually handed me a spare, and we played a duet. She found my skill marvelously incredible and said I played like her sister.

    It only made her that much happier...

    Three hours later...

    Lady Plymoise was more than understanding when I told her I needed to leave.

    “You’ve done more than your fair share, Lord Springfield. Truthfully, I felt...greedy when I asked you to escort me.” She watched while I hooked Surtr to the carriage’s harness.

    “Don’t be silly.” I pointed at Sera, who wiped her reddened eyes with a handkerchief made of grass and soft leaves. “Your offer enabled me to reconnect with a long-lost sister. I should be thanking you.” When Tris had stealthily told Gretchen to forget the clothes, she didn’t even question it. Although she was going to lose a lot of money. But she didn’t bring it up or act like that was a concern—although... It probably was.

    “Please be safe, Mila! I promise you won’t have to worry about anything! You can leave it to me!”

    After locking the last clip, I shook Gretchen’s and Captain Morgan''s hands and hugged Sera tightly. She didn’t want to let go, but she knew we would meet again.

    This was a ploy designed to garner her trust. Of course, it didn’t start that way. I really didn’t have a reason to innately hate her. But once I realized I benefitted more from this relationship, I merely pushed the right buttons, said the correct words, and controlled the entire narrative. Her devotion to the Vredi Forest... Her dependency on fragments of the past and an unhealthy desire to abandon the future...

    “It is.” I rubbed her head. “Remember what we talked about?”

    “Uh-huh! I do! I can’t wait!”

    During our return trip, Tris sent a message to Tilde to tell Captain Caulk to get our ship ready to leave by tonight.

    The sooner we left and revived Sekh, the sooner we could return to being a family with Mom and Dad.

    Delouise walked outside and announced dinner was prepared. “I’ve heard from Ms. Tilde about your new attire. It’s a lovely outfit for a powerful woman like yourself, Lord Springfield.”

    “He’s not wrong. You look amazing, Mila.”

    “Aww... Thanks.” I rubbed Erin’s head.

    We went to the dining room and waited for Ginnie, Chax, Niva, and Primrose to return. They had errands, so Tris said they’d return in 10 minutes. They also knew I was here because she sent Primrose a waypoint message seconds before.

    Chax and Ginnie arrived and told me Niva and Primrose had a few more things to do, but they said to eat without them because they’d grab something from the market.

    That was sad, but we went ahead and ate. I couldn’t focus that much on dinner. The salad and veggie stew tasted bland and flavorless. It shouldn’t have, but I really wanted to share one final meal with the family I loved...

    There’ll be time for that after Sekh’s back. I know how I want things to play out for the following six months. And I’ll have to spend as much time with my family...

    As we ate, I told them about Lord Enele and Seraphina.

    “The Dark Lord of Justice?!” Dad was surprised about me encountering another Vredi, but he never believed Lord Enele would have shown up.

    “That’s right. He’s honestly incredible. His use of [Conferment] is completely masterful.”

    “[Conferment]? Isn’t that the ability that voice spoke about a while back? And wait... You met a Dark Lord?! Like an actual Dark Lord?!” Ginnie’s fluffy ears twitched.

    “Yes, and yes. Have you never met one before?” While my family read the floating words of light only they could see, I steered the conversation using the experience I gained thus far.

    It was funny.

    When I first met Mom and Irisa, I was so shitty at small talk until Tilde gave me some expert advice. And here I was...able to control the flow of a discussion.

    “I wanna go with you, but I know I can’t,” Irisa said. “If we’ve found Grandma and Grandpa by then, I want to introduce you to them. I know what happened between Mom and Dad and Grandma and Grandpa, but I really think we can move beyond it.”

    Erin said that sounded nice and fun. She touched her shiny horns and asked if Grandma and Grandpa would like them. Her cute ears twitched, and her tail lightly danced behind her. I knew Erin harbored thoughts about what we discussed before I left for the Heptarchis, but Erin wanted to think positively. She knew she was her father’s daughter and sister’s sibling. And she knew Mom loved her as if she was flesh and blood. Any feeling to the contrary was born from her reluctance to accept that affection because of the events surrounding her birth.

    The solution was internal and obtained via self-growth. Erin knew that. She knew I knew that. Accepting was the hard part. Casting out internal demons... It wasn’t child''s play. But again, my little sister wasn’t alone.

    Irisa smiled with sisterly affection. Tris told me the two had a few late-night discussions. Irisa knew Erin’s worries and fears and helped her through them.

    After dinner, I spent some time with my family. Irisa led me to her room. I sat on the bed while she took a seat at her desk. Tris was with Surtr and Tilde, and they were talking with Mom and Dad, informing them about the ''events'' I had told Sera.

    We had to keep the story straight.

    Erin was hanging out with Chax and Ginnie in the courtyard.

    “This is going to be my greatest weapon,” Irisa said, showing me a dozen journals. “They’re filled with blueprints and notes I’ve gotten from Tris. And when this is done, I want to make something for Sekh. She’s so close to coming back. If I can do this...I’ll be that much closer to achieving my goal. Ah, but... Maybe I can add some leaves?” Irisa looked me up and down. “And vines? Maybe engravings? Ah! Mila, I’m filled with so many ideas I can’t stand it!”

    “And I’m happy for you. But you’re not the only one working on something important,” I said. Before the incident in Ria, I had worked on a ruby necklace for Sekh and a locket for Irisa. They weren’t done, but I hoped Enap would let me use his workshop.

    Tris’s voice resonated in my mind, and it was time to leave.

    Irisa escorted me to the lobby, where I saw the rest of my friends and family. Tilde said goodbye to Pawsome Fables. Erin cried. She wiped her eyes and tried to remain strong—even though we would be back soon. Sera and Lord Enele would probably arrive before our return. Even if they entered an area I hadn’t indexed, I had Surtr, the lions, and their telepathy.

    “Mistress!!!” I turned to the gate and saw Niva and Primrose. They ran towards me, and both carried beautiful smiles. Niva held Primrose''s staff tightly in her sole biological hand. Her robe’s hood was lowered, and Lei the slime balanced on her head. She tripped, but Primrose caught her with her vines. “I’m sorry we’re late! We had a few things to prepare before we set off.”

    “It’s fine. Don’t worry about it.” I put a hand on Lei and rubbed its blubbery body. It excitedly jiggled.

    “And welcome back!”

    “Yes. It does me well to see you’ve returned safe and sound, Lord Springfield.” Immediately, I knew they had changed. Niva was more confident. And Primrose walked with a refined air. She wasn’t confined to being tied down to Aetos.

    Even though she wasn’t.

    She thought she was, but her mind forced her to believe what wasn’t true. The link she shared was already broken on Aetos''s end, but she didn’t perceive it.

    With how emotional the scene became...it was a wonder we left for the harbor before the sun came up. Mom, Dad, Irisa, Erin, their lions, Chax, Ginnie, and the inn’s staff waved us off, with the lions choosing to roar. Surtr roared back. He flared his flames and sent a beam high into the sky, parting the clouds.

    The citizens already knew about the lions. They knew not to panic when they saw such a sight because it most likely involved the High Elf of Liberation.

    A bit overkill, but it was the perfect display of power for the king of the jungle.

    “Primrose and I... We talked a lot. And there’s much we want to say.” Niva turned her head and looked at me. [Mana Perception]''s magic circle was more intricately detailed. It was proof of her hard work.

    I smiled. “Then we’ll discuss it on the ship, okay?”

    Niva shared a smile with Prim, and the two determinedly nodded.